Girl Friends
by C A Moore
Summary: Riko and Chika know there is something special between them, Riko knows what it is and Chika has just worked it out. Things are about to change. A series of scenes around their developing relationship with each other and friends/family. ChikaRiko relationship, Chika&You friendship; cameo for Honoka and Nico/Maki. Just barely M rating, adult themes but not smut.
1. Chapter 1

Typography note: I've used a macron-o (unicode) for the long vowel in Yō instead of simple ASCII romaji, hope it displays ok. You for よう embedded in english text just throws me. Because you is one of those super common mentally hard wired words I keep reading it with the english pronunciation and getting Yuu.

The girls sat in silence on opposite sides of the table. Chika glanced across the table at Riko; the other girl was apparently engrossed in her drink. It was a good thing we only had tea and sweets, she reflected, it doesn't seem like either of us could eat food.

Over the past few months they had hung out, shot the breeze, taken walks in the sunset, gone shopping, had lunch, and caught a few movies... somehow always without their other friends. Chika knew they had been dancing around this for months, long before she had realised it consciously, before the business with Yō, before that sunrise confession that she now realised may have meant much more than she understood at the time. Maybe even since they first met. Somehow without even saying it out loud they had arrived here, being crushed by the elephant in the room. As usual she spoke first, but unusually quietly.  
"So, this is a date, right?" the silence stretched out a little more, so she continued "A 'date' date".

"-" The movement and slight noise from Riko was probably an acknowledgement, but also seemed to involve checking if anyone might be listening.

"We should go for a walk."

~o~

They ended up taking about their friends, their performances, the town, music and pretty much anything else until they found themselves holding hands on the footpath roughly midway between their homes.

Chika smiled.  
"I'm not sure who should walk who home"

Riko couldn't help laughing a little.  
"I think we will both be ok from here"

"This is it then"

They both glanced around the street which was, as usual, deserted. Chika moved in until their faces were close.  
"Um, this is where we... uh"

"Right"

Caressing Riko's cheek with her hand Chika made her final approach. Riko's eyes closed and her lips pressed forwards in anticipation. At the last second she moved to the side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. After giving the anticlimactic kiss, Chika pulled away blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't- I'm sorry. Goodnight" she called as she dashed away, leaving Riko standing alone with more questions than answers.

~o~

"Are we still friends?" Even speaking quietly Chika's voice travelled easily across the gap between their windows.

Riko sighed, and slumped down with her back against the wall under her window. It had been too much to hope for, that Chika would feel the same way she did. This was why she had delayed so long... but friends was better than nothing.  
"Of course we are"

"I need to talk to a friend right now" Chika was silent for a long moment. Riko wondered if she should say something encouraging, but the other girl finally continued, "I went on a date today, and it didn't go so well"

"Oh"

"It started out ok, but the end wasn't so good. I messed it up"

Riko sat up a little. That didn't sound like cold feet.  
"Messed it up?"

"We were going to kiss" Chika sighed, "she looked so beautiful, and she was getting closer and closer. I wanted to kiss her so much. Our first real kiss. I wanted it to be the best kiss ever. I started thinking too much and I panicked and ruined it"

Wanted? Riko quickly turned around to look over her windowsill, finding the redhead in a similar pose on the other side of the alley.  
"I-"

Chika silenced her with a smile  
"Do you think she would give me another chance?"

"Yes! Absolutely, yes!"  
Riko eyed the gap speculatively. She had jumped it before...

"Maybe at ground level" Chika added, apparently having read her thoughts.

Despite her hurry Chika arrived to find Riko already there, out of breath.

"So"

"So"

They drew closer and their lips touched.

She knew it wasn't the best kiss ever, because the next one was better, and the next, and... well it seemed to be a pattern. The little moan Riko made as she pushed her against the wall was pretty special too.

~o~

It was a complex question. Given their roundabout start, had they been together for two weeks or six months? An interesting and relevant question, but it was not the one occupying Chika's mind. Even her much more recent realisation that dating a girl had the benefit that her family didn't ask any questions about sleepovers had been displaced by her current preoccupation.

How to convince Riko that her hands would be more welcome under her pyjama shirt rather than over it. She had tried letting it ride up, but her girlfriend had helpfully pulled it down. She could just ask, but Riko could be very self conscious. Maybe if she set the mood. With a final kiss she smiled apologetically, rolled off the bed and stood up.

Riko lay on the covers in her nightdress. She gave Chika an enquiring look.

"A bit more privacy" Chika explained. She closed the blind and turned off the light. She hesitated before returning to the bed. Maybe a bit of directness too? She unbuttoned the shirt and let it fall.

A sharp intake of breath confirmed that even in the dim light Riko was aware her toplessness. Hidden by the darkness the piano player was blushing furiously.

"Is this ok?" People were always telling her that she rushed into things; she didn't want to do this wrong.

'Ok', not so much. Answer to her wilder and more optimistic fantasies, getting warmer. It had taken all her self control not to take advantage of the way Chika's shirt kept riding up, and now, topless. She hadn't planned for this and it raised some difficult issues about reciprocation.  
"I'm not wearing anything under this" she explained apologetically, gesturing at her nightdress. Whoever said panty free was more healthy at night hadn't factored in the frustration from not being able to balance a topless make-out session.

"Gotcha" Chika was a little shocked, this was more than she expected, but if Riko wanted to go there she wasn't about to be the one left behind. She slid down her shorts and kicked them away before turning to face the bed.

"!"

In the silence that followed it dawned on Chika that Riko had not actually been proposing nudity.  
"Sorry. I thought. Um" she felt around the dark floor attempting to locate the clothing, only to be distracted by another piece of cloth gently falling on her back. It was large and a different texture from her own clothing; it took a few moments before the exploding realisation caused to stare back at the bed.  
"Wow!"

Riko's boldness only lasted a few minutes under the redhead's intense gaze.  
"Sorry" she apologised as she dived under the covers. After only a brief pause she held up the edge of the cover in an invitation.

Chika smiled broadly and swaggered to the bed.

"But-"

"-not sex" Chika finished.

The feel of a warm body beside her seemed to bring back Riko's sense of adventure  
"Not... tonight"

"Not tonight" Chika agreed, savouring the feeling of their skin in contact. She kissed her, running her hands over the silky smooth skin of her back.

~o~

The bright morning sunshine spilled over the town creeping in to every crack and crevice chasing away the night; a little even penetrated Chika's tightly shuttered room. Chika lay half awake revelling in the feel of the warm body beside her. She let loose a happy hum of contentment.

"Morning" From the doorway her sister's amusement was audible in her tone.

"Uh. Morning" Chika's gaze flickered to the floor confirming that their clothes were clearly visible where they had left them last night. She had a feeling there may be more questions about sleepovers in future. She cast a worried look at her sister.

She was met with a grin and two thumbs up. Reassurance given, she looked at Riko asleep in the bed, her smile shifting to something more mischievous.  
"This is for thinking we didn't know" she whispered. She knocked loudly on the door beside her abruptly waking Riko. Taking a deep breath she yelled in convincingly scandalised tone.  
"WHAT did you do to my innocent little sister?!"

~o~

"I want you to the the first to know. Riko and I are dating"

Yō looked at her blankly.

Chika had some practice with framing the issue, having only quite recently worked though it herself.  
"Like a boy and a girl, but with girls"

"Oh." A light came on in Yō's head, and she said the word that came to mind "Lesbo." She had heard it a fair bit, usually with reference to herself.

"I think Lesbian is more polite, but yeh, I guess. It's all... new"

Yō had to concede that politeness had not figured largely in the context she had heard that word.  
"So all this time you've been spending with Riko was just because you wanted to do, like, lesbian stuff with her?"

"That's not exactly how I would-"

You cut her off by tackling her with a bone crushing hug.  
"That is so great!"

After a few moments with no sign of the hug letting up Chika felt the need to ask  
"Are you alright?"

"Aye-aye! Best friend on deck"

"The best-est!" Chika assured her, finally having guessed the issue.

Yō released her.  
"You want to talk?"

"Do I ever. Best friend emergency: I am dating this smart, gorgeous, sophisticated Tokyo girl and I feel like I'm completely out of my depth"

"Are we still taking about Riko?"

"Hey!" Chika punched her on the shoulder.

"Ow! Ok, ok. I'm your girl. Um, best friend advice girl."

"She slept over last night," mistaking the puzzled look on Yō's face for disapproval she hastily clarified "We didn't go all the way... but it was kind of intense."

"Um. Intense, wow." It was occurring to Yō that her familiarity with the word as an insult left out many details that might be useful in the advice giving capacity. Like, for instance, what two girls might do that was 'all the way'; or for that matter what they might do that wasn't. It seemed likely it was a bit more than kissing. "I uh. I need to check something" she leapt up and ran out of the room.

Chika could only stare after her in shock.

A few moments later Yō put her head back though the doorway.  
"I'll be back. With advice, I mean. After I check the er, thing. We'll have you shipshape and picking out wedding stationery in no time!"

"Wedding?" Chika addressed the empty room uncertainly.

~o~

"Hi" Yō's entrance seemed to lack a lot of her earlier energy.

Chika still jumped. She had been occupying herself at the whiteboard trying to figure out if Chika Sakurauchi or Riko Takami looked cooler written down. After some hasty erasing she turned around.  
"You mentioned advice?" she prompted, hoping to avoid the subject of her writings.

"Advice?" for a moment Yō looked confused "Right. Lesbian advice, sorry. Um, don't net search it and click the first link without checking."

"What?"

"Nothing. So, you really like Riko?"

Chika blushed and smiled  
"Yeah. Really, really."

"And kissing her and stuff?"

"Definitely."

"Kissing her all over" Certain images encountered during her incautious experiment with internet research had left an impression.

"I suppose so"

"Like, everywhere?" Yō glanced briefly downward.

Chika's own research had been more cautious, starting with some books that Riko naively believed she had securely hidden under her bed. There had also been some very informative pamphlets she found in the lost property box at the inn. Though she now suspected they may not have been 'lost' as such... her sister's grin was a bit too knowing. It wasn't complete, but it had certainly raised some interesting possibilities.  
"Oh. That. Well, I like all the other places I have kissed her, so probably. But Yō, I wasn't actually looking for 'Game Plan' advice, just, um, girl talk."

"Oh, thank god!" Yō relaxed and let out a big breath. "Hold on, all the other places? Uh, no I don't want to know. Boys are so much simpler."

"I think most of that stuff works with boys too, you know." Yō gave her a look of wide-eyed incomprehension and alarm. "Nevermind."

"Girl talk?" Yō prompted hopefully.

"I think we are doing that right now"

"So you will be planning more sleepovers?"

"Once Riko recovers from nearly dying of fright this morning"

"Big dog?"

"Big sister," Chika smirked, "found us asleep in bed together when she came in my room this morning"

"That doesn't sound so bad. We've had lots of sleepovers"

"We were kind of naked, and Riko has read far to many stories of people defending a maiden's virtue. She tried to run and got tangled in the sheets. Sis is probably still laughing"

"So, naked, that was the intense part then?"

"I kind of started it by accident, but when she took off her nightdress, just for me, she was so beautiful it felt like my heart stopped." Chika closed her eyes, savouring the memory. "About your question, there is absolutely no part of her I wouldn't have kissed in any way she wanted me to"

"TMI. We are going to have to set some boundaries"

"Boundaries?" Riko stood in the doorway.

"For the choreography. We should get the stage measurements and mark it out for practice" Yō was surprised by her own quick cover. She had a feeling the new couple held differing opinions about the level of sharing that was appropriate between friends.

"We already do that." She shook her head at Yō's somewhat manic grin, "Chika you don't have much time"

"Oh. The homework. Gotta run!" The redhead dashed from the room.

"So um, congratulations, I guess. Is that the right thing to say?"

"She told you, then" A part of Riko had been hoping that, faced with the reality of coming out to her friend, Chika would chicken out. A larger part was proud that she hadn't. Chika had reluctantly accepted that they should be discreet while they worked out what they were doing, but after last night, and now that her family knew... she wanted to tell everyone, and honestly Riko couldn't say she was wrong. It seemed like it may have gone well.

"You and her, lesbian thing, check"

"And you are ok with it?" Riko had always wondered if Yō harboured feelings for her best friend. Things had always been a bit weird between them; particularly when it seemed the new girl was coming between the childhood friends.

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I-" Things where so far outside her comfort zone maybe a little more wouldn't hurt "I wondered if you um, you..." there was no way she could ask that question.

"Oh" It was dizzying, less than an hour ago lesbian had just been a mean word. Now memories of Chika and Riko, they way they were together, flooded though her mind. How could she not have seen it? What else could she be unaware of? "I don't think so. I mean I would know, wouldn't I?"

Riko was at a loss for words. She realised she had no experience to answer the question. It was the first time she had talked about her sexuality with anyone but Chika.

Yō shifted awkwardly before breaking the silence.  
"When did you first know you liked Chika that way?"

"The moment we met." Riko seemed shocked by her own words, blushing and looking down. "I wanted to be friends as well. I knew I liked girls, I just didn't-"

"Know if girls liked you?" Yō suggested playfully. Riko's intense, almost Ruby-like self consciousness was helping restore her self confidence. She looked thoughtful. "Girls definitely like me." Smiling and laughing, how many of them hoped that she was looking for more? Was she?

"I used to test myself. I don't know, maybe I thought I would grow out of it."

"Test?" That sounded useful.

"Think of a nice girl-"

"What is she wearing?"

"Something pretty, something you like"

"Ok" Yō nodded.

"Now imagine undressing her" Riko couldn't believe she was doing this

"Gotcha. Now what?"

"What does it feel like?"

"It feels good, exciting. I like it. Nice, smooth-"

Riko wasn't sure what to feel at this point

"It's silk, the stitching is really fine and the cut-"

She was cut off by Riko's relived laughter.

"What? Did I do it wrong? Am I a lesbian?"

Riko decided she should skip the bit about 'imagine a guy...' Yō would probably fantasise about getting into his pants... literally.  
"You're unique, in a good way. Just be yourself" Riko found herself overwhelmed with the urge to hug her friend. She didn't bother to fight it.

"And, the others?"

The question brought her back to earth in a rush.  
"I don't know. How do you think they will react?"

Yō frowned, thinking hard. If everyone knew they could spend more time together, but she didn't want trouble. She had never spent a lot of time worrying about other people's opinion so it was unfamiliar work.  
"I think they will be ok. Mari will probably try to flirt with one of you."

"She wouldn't"

You silently expressed her skepticism.

"Ok, she might"

"Yoshiko will pretend she already knew. Kanan probably does already know."

"I don't think-"

"Ever kissed on the beach?" Riko's guilty look answered her question. "Kanan is always out on the water, and she has great eyesight. Dia-" Yō hesitated, she was getting deep into guesswork "uh, just try not to look depraved around Ruby"

"When do I ever look-" The discussion was cut off by the arrival of the rest of the group, followed in a few minutes by class.

~o~

The scene on the roof that afternoon bore out Yō's prediction almost perfectly, with a notable exception.

"It's about time, zura" Hanamaru smiled at the new couple, oblivious to the puzzled looks around her.

"She had a cousin who got married last year. That is, he married his boyfriend." Ruby explained with a shrug.

"You never said that wedding was between two-" It seemed like Dia was building up for a full rant.

"Love is love!" Hanamaru stated with uncharacteristic firmness.

"So, you love the ladies. Do I have to worry about catching your eye?" Mari fluttered her eyelashes at Chika.

Chika thought silently for a few moments before answering  
"No."

Several birds flew away, spooked by the sound of Kanan's laughter.

~o~

Author Note: I've published what I have up to here, so at least I get something out before season 2. Sorry it was a bit underdeveloped, but if I started rewriting it could have been years. I will avoid making promises on publishing schedule but I do have plans for more; next would be dealing with their families, then after that being outed and accused of violating the morality clause at Live Live.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Note: A lot later than I expected, sorry about that. I actually had most of it written before S2 started, but then ended up procrastinating when I missed that self-imposed deadline. I've deliberately avoided actual sex scenes in this story, but there is a brief near miss scene that probably earns the M rating.

~o~

Chika straightened up from her position slumped over the desk when she heard someone enter. Seeing it was Riko she smiled  
"How did it go?"

"Ok" Riko seemed pre-occupied.

"I should have come-"

"No, really, it went much better than I expected. I told mom I was gay, that we were dating, and she was fine with it." Riko came behind the desk and imitated Chika's previous position, slumped over the desk with her head resting on her arms.

Chika uncertainly patted her girlfriend's shoulder. Clearly there was something else.  
"And?"

Riko raised her head a little  
"She said that she had known, about me, for a long time. She wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night"

"I can do that. So it is a problem that she knew?"

"She said," Riko's voice was thick with horror, "you could stay the night if we wanted." She gave a shudder and put her head back down.

"Oh. Unexpected. But you wanted me to sleep over, so that's good, right?" Chika was not inclined to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I said no. She wouldn't even let me take food up to my room until last year. Something is definitely wrong"

Chika pushed Riko's hair aside to kiss the back of her neck.

"What was that for?"

"To make you feel better. Is it working?"

Riko stood up to face her.  
"Maybe. I thought we weren't allowed to do that where guests can see"

Chika smiled, pulling her girlfriend in close. People hardly ever came in at this time in the afternoon.  
"I don't see any guests" she observed, stealing a quick kiss to make her point.

~o~

Yukimi Yamamoto pursed her lips as she noted the quiet exclamation and slight delay before Chika popped up from behind the desk, flushed and slightly breathless.

"Mrs Yamamoto, welcome back! Did you enjoy your cruise?"

The woman in question was a proud grandmother, but she still remembered a thing or two about being young.  
"It was good enough. You can tell your boy behind the desk that I don't bite"

Chika responded with a perfectly straight face  
"Mrs Yamamoto, I can assure you that there is not a boy behind the desk. May I help you with your bag?"

The older woman looked at her skeptically  
"Yes, thank you. You're a better liar than I ever was, but you might want to button up your shirt first"

Adjusting her clothing, Chika walked out, picked up the bag and followed Mrs Yamamoto to her room as she reminisced.

"I recall those fit young fishermen were the best. Or was it the worst? I suppose it depends on your point of view"

"Mmm" Chika gave half hearted acknowledgement.

"Or maybe musicians?" The older woman noted her victim's blush, "I see, a musician. Certainly a good choice for the romantic gestures"

"Piano, and really good at it"

"Ah, pianists are all about the fingering..." Riko was relieved that she could no longer hear the conversation at that point.

~o~

When she returned Chika found Riko standing at the desk with her gaze directed downwards and sideways at the lost property box where a certain educational pamphlet lay open.

"You can take it if you like. My sisters just put it in there so I would read it"

"I-" Riko blushed guiltily. "Why would they do that?"

"I guess they thought I should know about that stuff"

"Oh" Riko snatched up the pamphlet and dashed off to sit in the corner hunched over, reading it. After a few minutes she spoke again. "How is your family so ok with this?"

"Shima said that there was a boy she really loved in high school, and one night they almost, you know, but they decided to wait and set up the perfect romantic night-"

"Did he die or something?" Riko asked suspiciously

"They broke up a few weeks later when she called his favourite anime sexist. But she says even though he turned out to be a dick, she still wishes that almost night had been her first time, because of how she felt, because at that moment she was ready. Mom says that mostly you regret the things you didn't do much more than the things you did"

Riko looked down at the pamphlet, lost in thought.  
"Do you think you could find a ladder to reach my room? By tomorrow night?"

"I suppose so, why?"

"So you can climb in" Riko pointed out, as if it was obvious. "And uh, make sure your fingernails are clipped short and neatly filed"

"I always keep my nails short, otherwise they keep catching on..." Chika trailed off as she recognised the quote from the pamphlet. "Really? That story with Shima, I wasn't trying to say you should... Are you sure?"

Riko nodded and swallowed nervously.  
"Yes. I think so. I mean, if you are"

"How about we say it's an option and see where it goes?"

Riko sighed with relief.  
"See where it goes" she agreed.

"So the ladder, if your mom says I can-"

Riko's expression hardened  
"Ladders are romantic. And there is no way I am doing anything if my mother knows I am doing it"

"Ladder, right. On it." And a bag. Presumably to save her from an embarrassing shopping trip her sisters had also gifted her with a bottle of lube and some latex gloves which might have mystified her before the recent education campaign. She really couldn't think why she would want anything between her and Riko, but the option was nice.

~o~

"Gotta go get that ladder, see you later" Chika's hand briefly caressed Riko's shoulder.

Riko smiled as she watched her girlfriend walk out of the classroom. The touch wouldn't have been out of place between friends, but still it had felt intimate, particularly since most of their classmates now knew about their relationship. Tuning out the chattering of her classmates she packed away her books and stood up to leave.

"What about you? Sakurauchi?"

She belatedly realised she was being addressed.  
"Excuse me?"

"Any steamy weekend plans with Chika?"

"I, err, um" She couldn't help the fierce blush that heated her cheeks when her thoughts jumped to their plans for the evening.

"That good huh?"

Riko gathered her thoughts. The other girls didn't know, she realised; they had just been talking about their plans with their boyfriends and included her. It felt weird to actually talk about it, being "out" took some getting used to.  
"We are having dinner with my mother. Officially, now that she knows."

"Wow. Well, good luck with that."

~o~

"You are so beautiful" Chika smiled up at her girlfriend who was sitting naked on the bed, comparatively at ease despite the bright morning light filtering into the room. Their explorations the night before had left them both in a mood to experiment further.

Riko blushed. She was quite sure that Chika, down between her legs, was not seeing her best angle.  
"Are you sure you want to try this?"

Chika dragged her attention away from the long fingers dancing as her the other girl fidgeted nervously. Those fingers! Last night Riko had been anything but reserved. Focusing on her immediate task, she planted a slow kiss on the inside of her lover's thigh before replying  
"Absolutely!"  
She used her fingers to part the soft folds in front of her, loosing a sigh at the pink flesh revealed. Following Riko's lead last night her fingers had explored quite thoroughly, providing a banquet of touch and sound. Now sight and smell were pushing the sensory experience to a whole new level. One last sense to try! She exhaled in anticipation, savouring the way Riko quivered at the feel of her breath on the sensitive skin. Even before her lips made contact she could sense so much of the other girl's reactions though her hands.

"Is Chika going to eat anything?" Riko's mother's voice carried clearly though the door.

Riko let out a quiet horrified squeak and froze. Chika could feel her muscles tense.

The silence drew out uncomfortably.

"Did I disturb you? Sorry. Just ask when you come down" Shortly afterwards there was the faint sound of her walking away.

It was safe to say the mood was gone. Chika gave a long disappointed sigh, got up off the bed and started dressing. Riko made no response other than to put her legs together as Chika withdrew.

After she had dressed Chika broke the silence.  
"Your mom does a good breakfast, right?"

Riko gave her a scandalised look  
"How can you think about that?"

"Well I was planning on eating-" she stopped, realising that Riko was in no mood for humour, "Look, we don't know what she knows, and we definitely don't know what she is thinking. Sooner or later you are going to have to see her"

~o~

Breakfast was surreal. They exchanged pleasantries and small talk as they ate as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Chika, I know it is short notice, but could you have dinner here again tonight? My husband would like to meet you."

"Of course Mrs Sakurauchi, I would be honoured"

"Thank you." The comfortable veneer slipped a little and some awkwardness crept in "It may be better if you didn't sleep over while he is here. Until he has had a while to get used to the idea"

Chika noticed Riko's growing confusion.  
"Um, ok. Sure"

~o~

"Ok. That was a bit weird"

"I told you!"

"You have to talk to your mom"

"Dad is only here one night, I'll talk to her tomorrow"

~o~

As she crept back into the house early the next morning Riko reflected on the night before. The evening had gone fairly well. Her father tried to talk about sport, while Chika tried to talk about Idols then they both settled on talking about Riko, while the subject of their conversation tried to change the topic by bravely talking up Chika's virtues. It was certainly an improvement on the one before where her mother had shown Chika all her baby pictures.

She found her mother sitting in the kitchen looking stern.  
"Your father took the first train. He was worried when you weren't in your room. I told him you must have got up early to see Chika"

"I'm sorry, I meant to come back last night, but we fell asleep"

"He wanted to tell you that the job in Numazu was confirmed last night, so we will be all living together soon"

"That's great!"

"He is happy that you have someone, but you should be careful not to push too far. Give him time. We both just want you to be happy"

This was the time, she realised.  
"But you are ok with our sleepovers?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

"How can you be so casual about me having sex?"

Her mother paled  
"Sex?" she whispered.

"What did you think we were doing?"

"But you are both girls-" Seeing Riko's saddened expression, she clarified "I understand that you are romantic with Chika, I do. But I thought, I don't know, with no boy pressuring you for-"

"Girls can want it too" She was absolutely not going to ask her mother about her own sex drive.

"But what would you even-" Her mother stopped, realising the awkward nature of the question "Sorry."

Riko remained silent. At least it meant her mother had never found /those/ books. She knew for a fact her mother owned a vibrator, so it was likely she had enough experience to guess most of it.

"When I realised you were different, I was so worried that you would never find someone to be with you. Someone to care for you like you deserved. I couldn't see how it would happen. Then, after we moved here, I watched you, the way you are with Chika, the way she is with you and I could see it. That it wasn't so much different from being with a boy. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised it was even more alike than I thought"

Riko bowed her head in acknowledgment.

Her mother remained silent thinking for a minute  
"So you and Chika have done this?"

"The night before last" Riko admitted, blushing with eyes downcast.

Her mother touched her arm to get her attention, making eye contact before asking her question  
"And you are all right? With it all?"

Riko nodded mutely, before summoning the bravery to speak  
"Yes"

"It must have been pretty awkward when I asked about breakfast in the morning" Her mother observed.

Riko's cringe and intensifying blush answered the question.

"I have no idea what I am going to tell your father." She thought for a moment "So last night you-"

"No. Um, we didn't, we just talked and" she pushed past her self-consciousness, "kissed".

"I need to think about this. It all seemed so much simpler when Chika's sister told me about seeing you cuddled up in bed together, and how sweet and innocent you looked"

Her mother's previous attitude to "sleepovers" was starting to make more sense.  
"She didn't mention that we were naked?"

"She did not." Her mother noted, sourly. "I think I will be having a long conversation with Chika's family"

Riko sensed she was being excused. She got up to leave.

"And Riko, just because I have accepted your nature don't think I have given up on having grandchildren, eventually. Two healthy wombs, no excuses!"

"Mom!" She was grateful for the switch back to normal parental embarrassment.

~o~

As they ate breakfast Kanan was surprised no one else raised the issue. It had to be dealt with, since they would be staying at least another night for the competition. No doubt, as usual, the uncomfortable realities were being left to her. She broached the issue as politely as she could, glancing around the others for support before turning to Chika and Riko  
"I understand sharing a bed, and that you have um, impulses, but while we are all together in the room I think it might be better if you could behave more uh, discreetly, and avoid a repeat of last night"

There was a brief silence.

"I-I think it was romantic" Ruby spoke with unusual fierceness.

Her lead was followed by nodding and murmurs of agreement

"La via dell'amore"

"So sweet, zura"

"Yohane is not disturbed by mere human affection"

Dia seemed to realise she was expected to say something.  
"It wasn't so bad"

Kanan had the feeling they weren't all on the same page, but she wasn't going to be made into the bad guy for voicing a perfectly reasonable request.  
"They had sex while we were all sleeping next to them in the same room!"

The silence following this statement was far more profound. The expressions on her friends' faces where almost uniformly shocked, although Mari appeared to be torn between amusement and admiration. The subjects of the discussion looked mortified. Belatedly Kanan realised it wasn't so much a different page, as a different book... in a different section of the library.

"Oh. Wow!" if there had been any other sound, Ruby's exclamation would have been inaudible.

"We thought you were taking about the goodnight kissing" Yō explained. She seemed by far the least surprised.

"Ah." She looked back to Chika and Riko. It seemed that in a literal sense they had been more discreet than she realised, but the guilty expressions on their faces didn't really leave any space for covering it up now. Dia looked like she was about to explode. "... sorry"

~o~

Chika pulled back from the kiss and stroked Riko's cheek. They had ducked into a small alcove backstage for a moment of privacy. Taking her girlfriend's hand Chika pressed her lips to the long elegant digits.  
"I love your fingers"

Riko smiled and blushed.  
"That is what got us in trouble last night"

The orange haired girl blushed.  
"Sorry about how things turned out this morning. I know you don't like it when our private stuff... isn't"

"It wasn't your fault"

Chika sighed.  
"I kinda started things-"

"You started a make-out session, I was the one who, um, escalated it." Riko blushed at the memory of Chika beneath her, eyes tightly closed, quivering with effort as she struggled to stay quiet. It had been utterly intoxicating. "Even if I had known we would be caught, I'm not sure I would have let it stop me." Smiling, she continued. "I wouldn't have believed it before, but I think it will work out ok, eventually. It may take some time; I know they accepted us dating immediately, but this is a lot... more"

Chika nodded.  
"The sex thing. Dia is going to need a while" she admitted with a rueful grin. The team disciplinarian hadn't been able to make eye contact with either of them all morning.

They stood there for a few moments in comfortable silence. The noise of applause signalled the end of another group's performance on stage.

"We should get back, we'll be on soon" Chika stepped out of their little sanctuary.

"Right" Catching up, Riko pulled Chika into her arms. "For luck," she explained as they stood face to face.

"I can always use more of that"

"I certainly hope so"

They closed the gap between their lips for a blissful moment before heading out to the stage. Neither of them heard the quiet gasp at the end of the passageway.

~o~

"The morality clause. They should be disqualified!" As the silence falling over the crowd revealed that her comment had been picked up by the microphone the girl seemed genuinely horrified by her own words.

The host hesitated, uncertain how to defuse the situation.

In those seconds the accuser's expression shifted to grim determination and she stepped forward to make her case.  
"Just now back stage I saw two of the Aqours girls kissing. We are meant to set an example!"

"I'm sure that it was probably just-"

"I know what I saw. Why don't you let the perverts make their own excuses!"

"I-" the host seemed genuinely at a loss in the face of the girl's aggression. She looked uncertainly at Yō, then after seeing nothing there, at Kanan. Much, much, later they would joke about her choice of suspects.

To her own surprise Chika found herself stepping forward and taking the host's microphone.  
"I-" Her heart was racing and her mouth was dry. From carefree kisses to live broadcast outing in a few minutes. She could feel everyone looking at her, judging her; was this the feeling that Riko was always so afraid of? Her building panic was calmed by the unexpected feeling of warmth; Riko had stepped forward to hold her hand. Much more steadily she started to speak again  
"We're not-" her attention was pulled to a quiet commotion at the end of the stage.

"Please go back, you aren't meant to go on!" The worried request seemed to have no effect on the person in question as they brushed past the staff. Tossing aside sunglasses and an outsize hat the woman took the microphone from the paralysed Aqours leader.

Speaking calmly and confidently she somehow seemed address the crowd and the girls on the stage at the same time.  
"We all came here for School Idols, not for amateur dramatics, so if everyone could please be patient for a short intermission while we sort this out"

"Who is she? She looks really familiar" Riko whispered.

Chika gave her a horrified look  
"Honoka! μ's!"

"Oh!" Despite more pressing issues she found herself blushing at her failure to recognise her girlfriend's Idol idol.

"They deserve to know. You can't cover this up!"

"The morality rules are about public behaviour," Honoka covered her microphone, "like making sensational accusations on stage. Look at all these girls" She gestured to the groups on the stage who switched abruptly from looking for an escape to trying to look nonchalant.  
"They all have social lives, private lives. You're performers, not a zoo exhibit!"

"At least a zoo is more natural than-"

Honoka grabbed the girl's microphone.  
"That's enough of that!" She watched as the girl was ushered off the stage. "Well that was a disaster. I don't know why they didn't just mute her mic" While they all moved off the stage music started playing; apparently someone had the presence of mind to start up the highlight reel from previous years. Honoka nodded approvingly. "Finally"

~o~

The Aqours waited uncomfortably in a small room backstage.

Riko's phone had been ringing when they got back to their stuff, her mother calling from outside.  
"I love you too" She hung up with a thoughtful look. "Mom wishes us luck"

Chika frowned, she could deal with whatever was going on there later, for now she was going to worry about the immediate problem  
"Guys, we are so sorry-"

Dia cut her off sharply.  
"NO! Sorry doesn't fix this!" She took a breath. "I mean, you don't have to be sorry... not for this, anyway. We can deal with the other stuff later" she looked to the others for support.

"We are going to stand by you, all the way!" Ruby stood firmly beside her sister.

Her statement was met with a chorus of agreement from the other girls.

Chika felt her eyes brimming with tears.  
"Guys-"

Before they could talk further the door opened and Honoka slipped in.  
"They'll want to see you soon. The committee. What is your story?" Seeing only blank expressions she clarified, "I know it is none of my business, and that in situations like this people can just misunderstand what they see-"

"The kiss was real. We are dating" Riko stated, putting her arm around Chika. "Our friends and family already know"

Their visitor looked at their defiant stand for a moment.  
"So you won't be denying it?"

Chika glanced briefly at her team mates and saw only support. She paused to give them a grateful smile before replying.  
"No, we won't be denying it"

The ex-idol favoured them with a small approving smile.  
"Excellent"

~o~

The runner who guided them to the office hadn't paid much attention to the extra person, but the power-suited woman who met them there was a different story.  
"Miss Kousaka, please return to the audience."

"I'm not missing this for anything"

"Despite our repeated invitations you have declined to be involved in this event. You have no standing to be here"

"Every μ's themed promo you've published says different"

Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened and several girls were ushered out, most of whom they recognised as Idols from other teams.

The two groups acknowledged each other awkwardly.

The woman studied them cooly before speaking  
"They just threatened to withdraw if you are disqualified, how does that make you feel?"

"What!?"

Blushing furiously one of the girls hissed an answer  
"If we beat you, we are going to do it fair and square!"

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed the Aqours where ushered into the office.

Seeing a several people sitting behind a table Chika stepped forward to make their case.  
"We did kiss, but we are dating and-" she was silenced as the man at the centre held up his hand.

"A great many people seem to have been moved," he gave a tired glance at Honoka, "to tell us that your conduct should not be cause for disqualification, and we are inclined to agree. The problem is that the accusation has been made publicly, and therefore the issue now is the reputation of this event. School idols have a certain reputation-"

He was interrupted by Honoka's snort.

"Miss Kousaka?"

"I'm a single mother, you've never let that stop you using me in PR"

"A situation that arose after you ended your involvement with this event. We will just have deal with the prospect of the first lesbian school idols as it unfolds"

"First? Really? You think-" She hesitated.

"Miss Kousaka?"

"Not the first. Just the first you know about. It's not my place to say more"

"But it is ours" A tall redhead was speaking with a petite brunette beside her.

"Maki and Nico" Riko whispered to Chika, before being embarrassed to have pointed it out to the expert.

"Miss Nishikino?"

"Nico and I were already dating when μ's won. We will make a press release after the event"

Seeing Dia's shocked expression Honoka leaned over to whisper in her ear  
"You should see them at home, they are adorable. My daughter's favourite aunts, I keep telling them they should have kids of their own and stop spoiling mine"

"And we will be making a statement of our own. Miss Takami, Miss Sakurauchi your participation is not under any threat, I don't believe it will be necessary for you to worry about this any further"

The ever present attendants started ushering them out

"But" Riko seemed surprised at her own voice "But what if we want to reply?" She seemed encouraged by the silence that followed "After what that girl said, if we don't answer it sounds like we are ashamed. I'm not ashamed"

The chairman briefly made eye contact with the other board members getting silent confirmation.  
"As you wish, Miss Sakurauchi. Keep it brief, despite your team's efforts this is an entertainment event, not a publicity platform"

Before they knew it they were outside the office again.

"Riko?" Chika took her hand.

"Mom said that her and dad would be proud of me, no matter what. I want to do this"

~o~

"So, we won!" They were back at the hotel, exhausted after the ceremony and reception. Chika and Riko stood with arms linked and the others standing around them.

"How come you two are the ones that came out to the world and we are the ones that get hit on?" Yō complained.

"We're taken" Riko pointed out smugly, pulling her girlfriend closer, before continuing more sombrely "You're friends with us, even if you aren't interested, they know you won't be cruel to them"

"Between the reception and the fans outside, two girls tried to give me their numbers" Kanan admitted with guilty pride.

"Ha! Four!" Yō countered. "And one even gave me a spare set of clean panties for some reason" She waved the offending garment at them as proof.

"Um, Yō, those may not be, err, clean, exactly"

"Huh? But why would-" her cheeks flushed as she made the connection and dropped the underwear "Ewww"

Once her friends had stopped laughing she spoke again.  
"I'm hungry, lets look for somewhere to eat"

"Me too, zura"

After a chorus of confirmations they all walked out, talking and laughing.

A/N: That Idol committee bit was hard... trying to get the right note when I only have a tenuous grasp of Japanese LGBT issues... hope it turned out ok. For the ending, I wondered about trying to do a super nostalgic looking back/moving forward, but then I realised the series already did that, so I just left it on a light friendly note.


End file.
